An exotic bird breeder says thieves have forced him to consider giving up his hobby after they stole 270 birds worth £4,000 from an aviary in the garden at his home.

Lee Williams, aged 36, spent 10 years building up his collection including Java sparrows and diamond doves which can fetch up to £80 each. The father-of-two, who lives in Brownhills, woke on Friday morning to find the birds had been stolen from the aviary in his garden.

Police believe the thieves carried their haul away in a 5ft breeding cage and a large seed tin and escaped over a fence and on to fields that back on to the garden of his home in Bridge Street, Clayhanger.

The stolen birds originate from the Far East and Australia and include budgies, Java sparrows, diamond doves, zebra finches, Bengalese finches and a marked love bird. Mr Williams has managed to recover 200 birds after they were sold to a pet shop and he was able to identify them through rings he had put around their legs.

But around 70 of the birds remain missing. His collection was not insured.

One of the birds which he recovered has since died through stress.

Now Mr Williams, who has only lived at the property for the last six months, is considering ending his hobby for good because he fears thieves may strike again.

The fence erector said: “I have managed to get quite a few of the birds back but many of the rarer more expensive birds haven’t been found. I think whoever stole them knew what they were doing because they have kept the rarer ones.

“It would take me two to three years to build up the collection again and I have fears that the thieves could strike again.”

His wife Michelle, aged 40, said: “This has devastated him. His bird breeding plays a major part of his life.”

Anyone with information about the theft, which happened between 12.30am and 7.30am on March 21, should call Pc Lisa Gilbert on 0845 1135000.